Method and system for producing abrasive products

ABSTRACT

A method for producing abrasive products and an abrasive product. The abrasive products have a connector protruding therefrom, the connector being one of an interiorly-threaded hub, a protruding shaft and an exteriorly-threaded stud. The method includes a plurality of abrasive flaps secured to one another and to a disk from which the connector protrudes by adhesive. The improvement includes forming the connector separately from the disk and securing thereto after the plurality of abrasive flaps have been secured to the disk.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/785,802, filed Dec. 28, 2018, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the field of abrasive discs.

2. Prior Art

Abrasive discs are typically constructed by adhesively securing a plurality of adhesive pieces to a backer disc from which a quick change connector extends.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Forming one aspect of the invention is an improved method for producing abrasive products, the abrasive products being of the type having a quick change connector protruding therefrom, the connector being one of an interiorly-threaded hub, a protruding shaft and an exteriorly-threaded stud. The method is of the type wherein a plurality of abrasive pieces are adhesively secured to one another and to a backer disc from which the connector protrudes. The improvement comprises the connector being formed separately from the backer disc and secured thereto after the pieces have been secured to the backer disc.

Forming another aspect of the invention is an abrasive product. The abrasive product comprises: a backer disc having a bore; a plurality of abrasive pieces secured to one another and to the backer disc by adhesive; and a connector formed separately from the backer disc, the connector being one of an interiorly-threaded hub, a protruding shaft and an exteriorly-threaded stud.

According to another aspect of the invention, the connector can be the threaded hub and be adhesively secured to the backer disc.

According to another aspect of the invention, the connector can be the exteriorly threaded stud.

According to another aspect of the invention, the bore can be threaded and the threaded stud can form part of a component which is threadingly engaged by the bore.

According to another aspect of the invention, the threaded stud can form one end of a component which has, at the other end, a threaded shaft that protrudes through the bore and is threadingly received by a nut or retaining washer.

According to another aspect of the invention, the connector can be the shaft.

According to another aspect of the invention, the backer disc can have a threaded bore and the shaft can form part of a component which is threadingly engaged by the bore.

According to another aspect of the invention, the shaft can form one end of a component which has, at the other end, a threaded rod, the threaded rod being in receipt of an interiorly-threaded hub that is adhesively secured to the backer disc.

Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following detailed description and the appended drawings, the latter being briefly described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of the components of a system for the production of abrasive products according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the structures of FIG. 1 from another vantage point;

FIG. 3 is an assembly view of portions of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view of the structure of FIG. 3 assembled for adhesive curing;

FIG. 5 is a view of a plurality of the structures of FIG. 4 stacked for adhesive curing;

FIG. 6 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 15 is a view of an abrasive disc that forms an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT System

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, components that form a system 20 for the production of abrasive products that is illustrative of the invention are shown and will be seen to include: backer discs 22,24, abrasive disc 26, abrasive pieces 28,30, coupler 32, interiorly-threaded hubs 34,40,42,36,38, mandrels 44,46, retaining washer 48 and adapters 52,54.

Backer discs 22, 24, are glass bead reinforced nylon 66, have a threaded central bore with a ⅜-16 UNC thread and a surrounding recess and differ only in size. Disc 26 is made of resin bonded abrasive grain and reinforced with fiberglass mesh and has a central bore adapted to receive a ⅜-16 UNC threaded shaft in spaced throughpassing relation.

Pieces 28,30 are abrasive and of generally conventional construction.

Coupler 32 is glass bead reinforced nylon 66 or nylon 66 and has a ⅜-16 UNC thread 60 (not shown) at one end and an opposing R LOK external thread 62 (not shown).

Hub 34 is plastic with S LOK internal thread. Hubs 40 and 42 are steel with S LOK internal thread.

Hubs 36, 38 are steel.

Mandrels 44, 46 are steel, each having a shaft at one end and a thread at the other. The thread of 44 is one and the same as the thread of 34 or 36. The thread of 46 is a ⅜-16 UNC thread.

Retaining washer 48 is steel. Nut 50 is steel or reinforced nylon 66. Both are adapted to grippingly receive a ⅜-16 UNC thread.

Adapters 52 and 54 are industry standard and will be seen to have, at one end, a shaft, and at the other end a socket. Socket 54 is threaded to receive coupler 32. Socket 52 has a threaded rod that is adapted to threadingly receive hub 34, 40, 42 or 36.

Methods Embodiment 1

This embodiment utilizes backer disc 22, adhesive 56, a plurality of abrasive pieces 28 and mandrel 46.

As an initial step in the method, the plurality of abrasive pieces 28 are secured to one another and to disk 22 by adhesive 56, as indicated by FIG. 3, and cured at elevated temperatures to form an abrasive body 58, as shown in FIG. 4. As the backer disc has a bore, a plurality of abrasive bodies can, advantageously, be cured on a spindle, as shown in FIG. 5. The attachment of abrasive pieces is a matter of routine to persons of ordinary skill in the art and as such, a detailed description thereof is neither required nor provided.

To produce a mini-disk, the threaded end of mandrel 46 is simply threadingly engaged in the bore of the disk until such time as flange is seated in the recess, as indicated by FIG. 6.

Embodiment 2

This embodiment (not shown) is identical to that of Embodiment 1 but disk 24 is used in the place of disk 22 and flaps 30 are used in the place of flaps 28.

Embodiment 3

This embodiment uses abrasive body 58 formed of disk 22 or 24 along with adapter 52 and hub 34,40 or 42. Hub 34,40 or 42 is adhesively secured in the recess of the backer disc and threaded into the socket of adapter 52, to form the structure of FIG. 7. Hub 34 can also be secured to backing disc 22 or 24 using friction welding since 22,24 and 34 are made from nylon 66.

Embodiment 4

This structure is similar to Embodiment 3 but adapter 54 is used with coupler 32 and abrasive body 58 to produce the structure of FIG. 8.

Embodiment 5

In this embodiment, hub 36 is adhesively secured to abrasive body 58 and mandrel 44 is threaded into hub 36 to form the structure of FIG. 9.

Embodiment 6

In this embodiment, hub 36 is adhesively secured to cutting head 58 to form the structure of FIG. 10.

Embodiment 7

This embodiment is similar to the structure of Embodiment 6 but the hub 38 is used to form the structure of FIG. 11

Embodiment 8

In this embodiment, coupler 32 is threaded into the bore of the backer disc 22 that forms part of cutting head 58 to form the structure of FIG. 12

Embodiment 9

This embodiment is similar to Embodiment 8 but an abrasive body formed of backer disc 24 is used, to produce the structure of FIG. 13.

Embodiment 10

This embodiment is similar to Embodiment 8 but hub 34 is used with abrasive body 58 to produce the structure of FIG. 14.

Embodiment 11

This embodiment is similar to Embodiment 8 but hub 40 is used with abrasive body 58 to produce the structure of FIG. 15.

Other Variations

Abrasive disc 26 can be used in substitution for disk 22 or 24, if desired. To do so, coupler 32 is passed through the central bore of disc 26 and captured by nut 50, as indicated by FIG. 16, or by retaining washer 48 as indicated by FIG. 17.

Whereas certain of the components are described to be, for example, screwed together, it will be appreciated that adhesive or friction welding could be used in substitution for, or in addition to, mechanical engagement.

Other variations are of course possible. Accordingly, the invention should be understood to be limited only by the accompanying claims, purposively construed.

Advantages

Persons of ordinary skill will readily appreciate that the invention allows, for the relatively inexpensive production of a relatively wide variety of abrasive products resultant from, inter alia, interchangeable parts, many being commonly available in the marketplace at low prices, and the stackable nature of the abrasive bodies. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An improved method for producing abrasive products, the abrasive products being of the type having a connector protruding therefrom, the connector being one of an interiorly-threaded hub, a protruding shaft and an exteriorly-threaded stud, the method being of the type wherein a plurality of abrasive flaps are secured to one another and to a disk from which the connector protrudes by adhesive, the improvement comprising: the connector being formed separately from the disk and secured thereto after the flaps have been secured to the disk.
 2. An abrasive product comprising: a backer disc having a bore; a plurality of abrasive pieces secured to one another and to the backer disc by adhesive; and a connector formed separately from the disk, the connector being one of an interiorly-threaded hub, a protruding shaft and an exteriorly-threaded stud.
 3. An abrasive product according to claim 2, wherein the connector is the threaded hub and is adhesively secured to the disk.
 4. An abrasive disk according to claim 2, wherein the connector is the threaded hub and is friction welded to the backer disc.
 5. An abrasive product according to claim 2, wherein the connector is the exteriorly threaded stud.
 6. An abrasive product according to claim 4, wherein the bore is threaded and the threaded stud forms part of a component which is threadingly engaged by the bore.
 7. An abrasive product according to claim 4, wherein the threaded stud forms one end of a component which has, at the other end, a threaded shaft that protrudes through the bore and is threadingly received by a nut or retaining washer.
 8. An abrasive product according to claim 2 wherein the connector is the shaft.
 9. An abrasive product according to claim 7, wherein the disk has a threaded bore and the shaft forms part of a component which is threadingly engaged by the bore.
 10. An abrasive product according to claim 7, wherein the shaft forms one end of a component which has, at the other end, a threaded socket, the threaded socket being in receipt of an exteriorly-threaded stud that is adhesively secured to the backer disc.
 11. An abrasive product disc according to claim 7, wherein the shaft forms one end of a component which has, at the other end, a thread, the thread being received by an interiorly-threaded hub that is adhesively secured to the disk. 